Effective in treating treatment-resistant depression, ketamine is giving some patients another valuable tool in their arsenal against depression and other mood disorders. In this post we’ll review a few of the most common ketamine side effects.
For some researchers and clinicians, ketamine has shed its past image as a hallucinogenic recreational party drug, and is now drawing attention for its surprising off-label use as a fast-acting antidepressant.
Ketamine delivered intravenously in a controlled clinical setting has been used as a treatment for patients with severe depression for whom standard therapy and antidepressants have not worked, and all other treatment options have been exhausted.
See also: What Makes Ketamine Therapy for Depression so Effective?
While this opens up new opportunities for the treatment of depression, like any drug there is risk of possible side effects. Some of the most common ketamine side effects include dissociative changes or feelings of detachment/ disconnection, headache, dizziness, elevated blood pressure, blurred vision, and in some cases nausea or vomiting.
These side effects are usually well tolerated and mild, and serious adverse events are reported to be rare due to the low doses administered. However, it is important to note that mental health experts advise ketamine be used cautiously with other drugs that alter mood and perception, including alcohol, cannabis, and opioids.
See also: 10 Ketamine Infusion Questions And Answers
The increased interest in ketamine, has been in part because of further research suggesting its efficacy in not only treating depression but also PTSD, General Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety and others. Long term effects of ketamine as a clinical treatment are still in development but for some patients the immediate relief of treatment-resistant depression and mood disorders is too significant to pass up.
If you are someone you know is suffering from depression, and want to know if you are a good candidate for this treatment option, call today to make an appointment.
